Request a Demo

Schedule a demo in 30 seconds.

Platform Features

Platform features

Asset Management
Manage lifecycle and plan Capex
Learn more

Contractor Management
Planning oversight & budget control
Learn more

Property Maintenance
Stay organised & compliant
Learn more

Quoted Works
Get a quote & book the work - fast
Learn more

Reactive Maintenance
Automated, fast and efficient
Learn more

Planned Maintenance
Increase reliability & decrease downtime
Learn more

Parts Ordering
Painless parts ordering on any device
Learn more

Cost Control
Streamline payments & control your
Learn more

expansive CAFM

CAFM Overview
What makes expansive different
Learn more

expansive AI
Designed by FM teams for FM teams
Learn more

expansive Insights
A data-driven FM strategy at your fingertips
Learn more

Get ready for FM digital transformation

Here’s how you choose the right CAFM

Download Now

Why Contractors Stick With FMs Who Use Facilities Management Software

Contents

Why Use CAFM Software?
3 Benefits of CAFM Project Management Tools for Contractors
3 Benefits of Workflow Automation for Contractors
3 Ways to Boost Operational Efficiency for Contractors
Mobile Workforce Helping Contractors
Performance Metrics and Contractors

Why Use CAFM Software?

Modern CAFM software is a fully integrated platform that connects your FM team, your properties, your assets, and your contractors in one place:

  • Reactive maintenance
  • Planned preventative maintenance (PPM)
  • Cost control
  • Compliance documentation.

For contractors, this is important because you don't have to chase a facilities manager for a work order, wait days for an invoice to be approved, or show up on site without the right access or documentation.

Platforms like expansive FM are built specifically with this in mind. They provide oversight, control, and analytics to FM operations, while making contractor collaboration smoother.

3 Benefits of CAFM Project Management Tools for Contractors

1. Clear Work Orders from the Start

One of the biggest pain points for contractors is ambiguity.

Vague work orders, incomplete site information, and poorly defined scopes of work all lead to delays and disputes.

CAFM platforms give FMs the tools to create clear, detailed work orders from the outset. Contractors know exactly what's required, the timeline, and what documentation they need to bring. This saves time and resources and increases efficiency.

2. Quoted Works Made Simple

Quoted works that rely on traditional facilities management processes can be subject to human error, slow approvals and long email chains.

CAFM software streamlines the entire process. Quotes are submitted, reviewed, and approved within the platform. A CAFM helps improve processes to keep team members informed. Contractors get faster decisions, and FMs maintain full visibility and budget control.

3. Centralised Documentation

Whether it is health and safety documentation, risk assessments (RAMS), SLAs, or compliance certificates, documentation can be a source of friction between FMs and contractors.

With a facilities management system in place, all of the documentation lives in one place. Contractors can submit their RAMS digitally before work begins, then FMs can review and approve them without chasing paperwork.

3 Benefits of Workflow Automation for Contractors

1. Stop Managing, Start Automating

Manual tasks can slow business operations. Chasing emails, updating spreadsheets, and manually processing invoices all impact your day-to-day operations.

expansive's AI-powered work order creation helper makes smart suggestions while logging faults. Contractors receive instant notifications when a job is raised, reminders before SLAs are breached, and invoices are processed without manual intervention.

For contractors, automated workflows mean they spend less time on administration, which is a powerful reason to stick with FMs that have CAFM systems in place.

2. Auto Billing and Invoice Processing

Slow invoice processing is one of the fastest ways to sour a working relationship.

CAFM platforms with auto-billing functionality generate and process invoices as soon as work is completed and signed off. There are no delays, no lost paperwork, and no uncomfortable conversations about outstanding payments.

When contractors know they'll be paid promptly and accurately, they prioritise your jobs. It's commercial logic.

3. Automated PPM Scheduling

Planned preventative maintenance (PPM) needs to happen on schedule. When PPM slips, assets fail, cost-effective strategies fall by the wayside, and compliance becomes a problem.

With automated PPM scheduling, contractors receive their scheduled jobs in advance. They can plan resources accordingly to make continuous improvements.

3 Ways to Boost Operational Efficiency for Contractors

1. Streamline Processes

Operational efficiency is the difference between an FM operation that runs smoothly and one that runs from crisis to crisis. CAFM software streamlines the FM workflow, from initial work order creation through to job completion and invoicing. The entire process is managed digitally and transparently.

2. Reduced Downtime

Downtime is costly. Facilities management software reduces downtime in several ways:

  • Reactive maintenance workflows are fast and automated
  • From faults being raised to the contractor being dispatched, the process is streamlined
  • Asset management features give FMs visibility of asset condition and lifecycle
  • FMs can be proactive before failures occur.

3. Parts Ordering

One of the more underrated features of CAFM is manage parts ordering. With this feature, the parts can be ordered directly through the platform, on any device, from anywhere. FMs can manage the parts to use for ordering, so contractors can quickly and easily select the parts they need from a list.

Mobile Workforce Helping Contractors

Mobile Workforce Management Features

Most contractors and engineers aren't sitting at a desk. They're on site, in transit, or managing multiple jobs across multiple locations. Many CAFM platforms are designed for use on tablets or phones. Engineers can:

  • Access their work orders
  • Update job statuses
  • Upload photos
  • Capture signatures
  • Submit documentation.

Real-time updates mean that FMs and contractors are always working from the same information. There's no miscommunication and no need for an end-of-day debrief to understand what's happened on site.

Don't just take our work for it!

"As a contractor, I work with many CAFM providers and expansive is hands down the best we use. Is it so intuitive and easy to use, especially on mobile."

Performance Metrics and Contractors

Decision-Making Based on Data

Data-driven decision-making means you use facilities management software with strong analytics capabilities to improve your operations. Not based on gut feelings but on actionable data points.

Tracking Contractor Performance

Many FM operations have little visibility of how their contractors are performing. CAFM software changes this with reporting tools:

  • SLA compliance rates
  • Response times
  • Job completion rates
  • Cost per job.

The Bottom Line

Great contractors are in high demand, and when they find an FM who makes their working life easier by communicating clearly, paying promptly, providing the right tools, and treating them as a professional partner, they are more likely to prioritise that relationship.

CAFM platforms give you the project management tools, workflow automation, mobile capabilities, and performance metrics you need to run a streamlined FM operation.